To the editor:
In his oped "Why Abbas Reconciled With Hamas," Ali Jarbawi refers to Mahmoud Abbas firmly believing "negotiations were the only way to reach a settlement with Israel."
This is impossible to reconcile with Abbas' actions, including the way he walked away from negotiations and basically stayed away for five years after Israel offered him the equivalent of all the disputed territory, his statements that he would never compromise on any of the core issues, that an agreement could have been reached long ago had he been willing to exhibit any flexibility and his refusal to extend the recent negotiations past April 29 even after Israel offered to release not only the last batch of terrorists but another 400 Arab prisoners if only he'd stay at the negotiating table.
Sincerely,
Alan Stein